Answer: Remain stable in size.
- A Grow exponentially
- B Remain stable in size
- C Decline rapidly to extinction
- D Exceed its carrying capacity
Correct answer: B. Remain stable in size
Explanation: When births balance deaths, r equals zero and dN/dt is zero, so population size stays essentially constant over time.
Exponential growth produces an ever-steepening J-curve with no limit, an unrealistic long-term model; logistic growth produces an S-curve that levels off at the carrying capacity K, as growth rate (K−N)/K shrinks to zero once resources are fully used.
Concept context
How organisms interact with abiotic factors and respond to stress, plus population attributes, growth models, and interspecific interactions such as predation, competition, and mutualism.